Thread Traversing Device for a Winding Device of a Textile Machine Producing Cross-Wound Bobbins

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a thread traversing device for a winding device of a cross-wound bobbin producing textile machine. Said thread traversing device has a thread guide which is guided in a thread guide rod in the working area and is connected to an individual drive mechanism by a continuous traction mechanism. According to the invention, the thread traversing device ( 11 ) has a substantially closed housing ( 23 ,) whose inner space ( 37 ) in the traversing area (B) of the thread guide ( 25 ) is sealed by the continuous traction mechanism ( 30 ).

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of German patent application 102004003173.8, filed Jan. 22, 2004, herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a thread traversing device for a winding device of a textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins and, more particularly, to such a device comprising a thread guide, which is guided in the region of the workstation on a thread guide rod and is connected to a single drive via a continuous traction mechanism.

In order to produce a textile bobbin, as known, it is necessary to make the relevant textile bobbin rotate, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to traverse the thread running onto the bobbin along the bobbin axis. In the process, a so-called cross-winding can be produced by relatively rapid traversing of the thread. Textile bobbins with cross windings of this type are not only distinguished by a relatively stable bobbin body, but also by good running off behavior.

In connection with the production of cross-wound bobbins of this type, various systems are already in use in practice and are described in detail in numerous patent applications.

In the case of winding machines, which operate at relatively high winding speeds, it is widespread, for example, to use so-called thread guide drums as thread traversing devices. Thread guide drums of this type have a groove for traversing the thread and simultaneously drive the textile bobbin in a frictionally engaged manner.

Thread guide drums of this type, which have proved themselves per se, are relatively expensive to produce, however, and also, as a function of the system, only allow the production of cross-wound bobbins in the winding manner “random winding”.

Furthermore, it has been known for a long time in the construction of textile machines, to use so-called traverse drive mechanisms in the winding of cross-wound bobbins.

German Patent Publication DE 38 01 980 C2 describes, for example, a textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins with a thread traversing device, in which the thread guide is driven by a traverse drive drum. As traverse drive mechanisms of this type are generally lubricated with oil or grease, the traverse drive drum is in each case surrounded by a traverse drive housing. The housing has a slot, through which the driver or the shuttle of the thread guide projects into the groove of the traverse drive drum. The thread guide slot of the traverse drive housing is sealed with the aid of a cover which is connected to the thread guide and is also called a sealing lip. This seal prevents oil or grease leaving the slot or textile dust entering the slot.

A substantial disadvantage of this traverse drive mechanism, nevertheless, is that traverse drive drums are also relatively costly to produce and also require a not insignificant outlay for maintenance.

In order to reduce the production costs of a textile machine equipped accordingly, it has already been proposed to simultaneously drive the thread guides of a plurality of workstations of a textile machine arranged next to one another by means of a traverse drive drum.

A device is described in German Patent Publication DE 195 36 761 A1, in which a thread guide driven by means of a traverse drive drum is connected to the thread guides of adjacent workstations via a correspondingly long sealing lip and drives them at the same time.

A device such as this also has basic disadvantages of traverse drive mechanisms, namely that drives of this type are relatively noisy during operation and that the traversing speeds which can be achieved with devices of this type are relatively low.

A thread traversing device with a thread guide is described in German Patent Publication DE 37 34 478 A1 and is guided in the region of a workstation on a thread guide rod and is driven by a single drive via a continuous traction mechanism. The single drive is configured, in this case, as a microprocessor-controlled stepping motor.

However, the drawback in this thread traversing device, which is advantageousper se, is its susceptibility to textile dust or fiber fly, which is unavoidable, in particular in winding departments. In other words, the thread traversing device described in German Patent Publication DE 37 34 478 A1, in order to be able to be operated over a relatively long period, continually requires a not inconsiderable outlay for clearing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from the above-mentioned prior art, the invention is based on the object of developing a thread traversing device for the winding devices of textile machines producing cross-wound bobbins, in which, in particular, the clearing outlay necessary for proper operation of the thread traversing device can be minimized.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a thread traversing device characterized by a mostly substantially closed housing, the interior of which is sealed in the traversing region of the thread guide by the continuous traction mechanism.

Other aspects of the invention provide advantageous configurations of the invention described more fully herein.

The embodiment according to the invention in particular has the advantage, in this case, that it can easily be ensured in an embodiment of this type that the components that are sensitive to dirt, arranged in the interior of the thread traversing device, are protected against textile dust and therefore remain unaffected by soiling even after a relatively long period of operation. As the interior is sealed directly by the continuous traction mechanism for the thread guide, no additional components are necessary, moreover, and this allows economical construction of the device.

In one aspect of the invention, it is provided in an advantageous configuration that the continuous traction mechanism is guided via deflection pulleys, which are positioned laterally next to the traversing region at a slight spacing from front wall sections of the housing of the thread traversing device in such a way that the continuous traction mechanism, in the region between the deflection pulleys, slides, with its outside, along the wall sections of the housing and thereby forms a seal. It is thus ensured that the housing is always reliably sealed even in the traversing region of the thread guide and therefore the interior of the thread traversing device is protected against the penetration of dust particles or fiber fly.

In another aspect of the invention, it is also advantageously provided that the thread guide, which is preferably manufactured from a wear-resistant oxide ceramic, is arranged on a special guide shoe, which is in turn guided to slide on a guide rod and is fixed to the continuous traction mechanism. As the guide rod is located completely behind the seal formed by the continuous traction mechanism and the wall sections, the possibility is provided of adequately greasing the guide rod without there being the risk of this guide being immediately contaminated by dirt particles.

In a further aspect of the invention, the single motor drive is preferably configured as a stepping motor and connected via a control line to a central control computer, for example. This means that by specifying corresponding working steps, the single drive motor can be activated purely by software, and therefore in a relatively simple manner and, for example, the traversing width or the traversing speed of the thread guide can be fixed and, if necessary changed at any time without problems.

According to another aspect of the invention, the continuous traction mechanism is configured as a toothed belt in a preferred embodiment. As a toothed belt of this type is positively driven, it is ensured by an embodiment of this type that each defined activation of the stepping motor, with regard to the traversing region, the traversing width or the traversing speed, can be implemented precisely, in other words without slippage. It is also ensured that the traversing region adjusted or the predetermined traversing width cannot adjust automatically during operation.

In another aspect of the invention, the thread traversing device according to the invention is configured as a thread guide unit in the form of a modular component, which can easily be exchanged complete, if necessary. In other words, the thread traversing device of the winding device, if necessary, can be assembled and disassembled completely without problems after the release of a few fastening screws.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with the aid of an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a workstation of a textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins, with a thread traversing device according to the invention in the region of the winding device,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a thread traversing device according to the invention, in the closed state,

FIG. 3 shows a similar perspective view of the thread traversing device, but without an upper cover of the thread traversing unit, partly in section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, one half of a textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins, in the present embodiment, an open end rotor spinning machine, is shown and designated 1. Open end rotor spinning machines, known per se, of this type have a large number of workstations 2, which are each equipped with a spinning box 3 and a spinning device 4. In the spinning box 3, the fiber band 6 presented in a spinning can 5 is spun to form a thread 7, which is then wound on the spinning devices 4 to form a cross-wound bobbin 8.

As indicated, the winding device 4 for this purpose has a creel 9 for rotatably holding the cross-wound bobbin 8, a winding drum 10 for driving the cross-wound bobbin and a thread traversing device 11. In the embodiment shown, the winding drum 10 can be driven via an electric motor single drive 21.

Open end spinning machines 1 of this type generally also have a cross-wound bobbin transporting device 12 for disposing of finished cross-wound bobbins 8. A service unit 16, for example a cross-wound bobbin changer or a piecing carriage, is also arranged at or on the spinning machine 1 so as to be movable on guide rails 13, 14 and a support rail 15. The running gear 17 of this service unit 16 has rollers 18 or a support wheel 19. The service unit 16 is supplied with electric energy via a drag chain or, as indicated via a sliding contact device 20. Service units 16 of this type, as known, can be moved along the workstations 2 of the open end spinning machine 1 and automatically intervene when there is need for action at one of the workstations 2.

A need for action of this type exists, for example, when a thread break has occurred at one of the workstations 2 or when the cross-wound bobbin has reached its specified diameter at one of the workstations and has to be exchanged for an empty bobbin.

The thread traversing devices 11 according to the invention, as arranged, in each case, in the region of the winding device 4 of the numerous workstations 2 of the textile machine 1, is shown in detail in FIG. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows, in this case, a perspective view of a closed thread traversing device 11 configured as a compact thread guide unit 22. In other words, the interior 37 of the housing 23 of the thread guide unit 22 is covered here with a cover element 24 and thus protected against the penetration of textile dust and fiber fly.

FIG. 3 shows the same thread guide unit 22 in a similar perspective view, but without the cover element 24, in other words with a view into the interior 37, in which the toothed belt gearing and the guide for the thread guide are arranged. As can be seen, the thread guide 25, which is manufactured, as usual, from an abrasion-resistant material, preferably an oxide ceramic, is fixed to a guide shoe 26, which is in turn guided to slide on a guide rod 27. The guide rod 27 is in turn fixed here in the side walls 28, 29 of the thread guide unit 22. The guide shoe 26 is also fastened to the outside 40 of a continuous traction mechanism, preferably a toothed belt 30. As indicated, the toothed belt 30 is guided, in the embodiment shown, at least via deflection pulleys 31, 32, and a drive wheel 33. The drive wheel 33 is arranged so as to be rotationally engaged, on the motor shaft of an electric motor, reversible drive, preferably a stepping motor 34, which is connected via a control line 36 to a control computer 35, for example a central computer of the textile machine and can be activated thereby in a defined manner. In an alternative embodiment, a section computer or a separate workstation computer may also obviously be used as the control computer.

As can be seen, in particular, from FIG. 3, the deflection pulleys 31, 32, arranged laterally next to the traversing region B of the thread guide 25, are positioned such that the toothed belt 30 constantly rests with its outside 40 on the wall regions 38, 39 of the housing 23 or slides along them. In other words, the toothed belt 30, in the traversing region B of the thread guide 25, in conjunction with the wall sections 38, 39, forms a seal, which, during operation, at all times reliably prevents the penetration of textile dust and/or or fiber fly into the interior 37 of the thread guide unit 22. 

1. Thread traversing device for a winding device of a textile machine producing cross-wound bobbins, comprising a thread guide, which is guided in the region of the workstation on a thread guide rod and is connected to a single drive via a continuous traction mechanism, characterized in that the thread traversing device (11) has a mostly substantially closed housing (23), the interior (37) of which is sealed in the traversing region (B) of the thread guide (25) by the continuous traction mechanism (30).
 2. Thread traversing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the continuous traction mechanism (30) is guided via deflection pulleys (31 or 32) arranged laterally next to the traversing region (B), and a drive wheel (33) connected to an electric motor drive (34) and, with its outside (40), slides along wall sections (38, 39) of the housing (23).
 3. Thread traversing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thread guide (25) is arranged on a guide shoe (26), which, on the one hand, is guided to slide on guide elements (27) and, on the other hand, is rigidly connected to the continuous traction mechanism (30).
 4. Thread traversing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the electric motor drive is configured as a stepping motor (34), which can be activated in a defined manner and which is connected to a control computer (35) via a control line (36).
 5. Thread traversing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the continuous traction mechanism is configured as a toothed belt (30).
 6. Thread traversing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thread guide (25) is manufactured from a wear-resistant material, preferably from an oxide ceramic.
 7. Thread traversing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thread traversing device (11) is configured as a modular component in the form of a thread guide unit (22), which can be exchanged complete, if necessary. 